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Peyton Joyner

Professor Hunter

English 1201

28 February 2019

GMO’s: Safe to Consume?

“More than 60 countries around the world have significant restrictions or

outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs”(Non-GMO Project). If that many

countries have banned GMO’s, why hasn’t America? Americans should stop buying

foods containing GMO's because they don't know what they can do to their bodies or

the negative effects to the environment. There are plenty of Non-GMO products to

replace them.

What is a GMO? GMO stands for genetically modified organisms. Any

organism that’s genetic material has been changed through techniques in

engineering is considered a GMO. Many are probably wondering, why are they a

health concern? There is a lot you may want to know. “At this time, there are no

long-term studies that demonstrate the safety of consuming genetically modified

foods”(Paul Jenkins). It may take decades until researchers are able to know what

exactly GMO’s can do to our body.

There have been lots of research done on rats, and they have found problems

like allergies, liver problems, and infertility. Rats are used to represent our bodies

and researchers do test on them to see what could happen to us. There is a lot of

different data they have found: “Babies of mother rats fed GM soy died within three
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weeks, the longer mice were fed GM corn, the smaller, less babies they had, and by

the third generation most hamsters fed GM soy were unable to have babies”.

A comparison of the stomach lining and intestinal wall of rats red GM potatoes and

Non-GM potatoes.

Smith, Jeffrey. “Health Risk.” Responsible Technology , 2015,

responsibletechnology.org/gmo-education/health-risks/.

Farmers use certain sprays and fertilizers that attach onto the food and end

up in our bodies. They use a toxin called BT, it is perceived as being safe for humans,

but many people have had allergic reactions. This spray has been used for years and

“mice fed BT had powerful immune responses and damaged intestines”

(Responsible Technology), the use of these chemicals is harming the natural

ecosystem. There has been lots of poor health and reproductive problems that

farmers have found in their sheep, goats, and cows. There have also been a lot of

deaths among these animals from eating BT corn. There’s not just one type of corn,

there’s a variety but all contain harmful chemicals. Workers in India used the same
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BT spray and they began getting allergic reactions from working with the toxin so

often. So, if it’s not safe to work with these chemicals, should they be in our foods?

One big topic that is very controversial about GMO’s is the fact that they

contain Roundup. “Roundup is used in massive quantities on GMO crops”(Paul

Jenkins). People believe that the Roundup remains in the soil, this means the next

set of crops can contain the Roundup. If it is in the crops, we therefore are digesting

these herbicides too. We definitely should not be consuming these chemicals in our

body. “GMO crops were specifically developed to permit farmers to use a lot of

herbicides while not killing the crops,” (Amy Meyers), this becomes drag, as a result

of the exposure from toxins will develop autoimmune diseases.

Amy Meyers MD talks a lot about how eating GMO’s can lead to autoimmune

diseases or worsening current diseases. Organizations have found a lot of

connections between GMO’s and health problems. Some of these health problems

include: intestinal damage, inflammation, and even death. Glyphosate is chemical

used on the GMO crops; it destroys the bacteria in your gut. Most of you are

probably wondering why that’s a bad thing. Well we have good bacteria in our gut

that helps with digestion. This puts you at risk for “Candida overgrowth, leaky gut,

and inflammation, which can contribute to autoimmune disease” (Amy Meyers).

The FDA continues to approve these foods with GMO’s even though no tests

are being done. Most people refer to the FDA as more of a political group than a

safety group. This is the opinion of the people, how are companies allowed to say

their products are safe when they are hiding. They are very right, if the foods were

safe, they would allow test to be done to prove it. Along with GM foods, there are
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also problems with the safety of GM animals. The companies that own the animals

are in charge of making sure they are evaluated and the FDA goes along with what

they say. So, if the companies were to lie, Americans would never know.

Insects, weeds, and water supply is a concern that comes with using GMO’s

There is a long list of environmental concerns because of the chemicals being used

on the crops to make GMO’s. There are important insects in the world that are also

being affected. Bees are believed to be decreasing in population each year because

of the use of pesticides. Not only are they repelling bees, they are creating weeds

that are immune to the chemicals. The use of these pesticides leads to what people

call “superweeds”. These weeds are resistant to the pesticides; therefore, they are

very hard to get rid of. “Plants designed to withstand potentially nephrotoxic

substances might probably disrupt the system,” from the Non-GMO project,

disruptions within the food chain causes things like over population and extinction.

Since these weeds are hard to get rid of, farmers have to use more powerful

chemicals to kill them. Monocropping is a method used for GM foods, when farmers

do this it degrades the soil. “Poor soil health needs farmers

to trust further artificial inputs,”(Green America). Keeping our water source clean is

very important; America is lucky to have so much of it and should be taking care of

it. The environmental risks are increasing and could become a major problem very

quickly.

There are animal welfare concerns with genetically modifying them, we don’t

know if it is causing them to suffer. Mutations of an animal are complex and could

lead to harm of the animal. There are ethical concerns they are creating unnatural
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things; some religions are very against that. They could end up mixing animal genes

in with foods making it hard for vegetarians and vegans to find suitable foods for

their needs.

The farmers selling the GM fruits, veggies, seeds, etc., are making lots of

money. While they not only supply to the United States, they also supply to

impoverished countries all around the world. They have to follow the guidelines

that the United States set, and also the trade representatives. Are they all in it for the

money? Americans may never know. Most people’s minds revolve around money,

not safety.

There are concerns with GMO’s creating more of a resistance to antibiotics

working in our bodies. This could be a major concern with our health and keeping

us safe. “In recent years, health professionals have become alarmed with the

number of bacterial strains that can no longer be treated with antibiotics,” (Paul

Jenkins), this might not be directly from GMO’s but it is certainly a possibility. It

would be smart for everyone to stop eating foods containing these until proper

research is done and they are safe. If we stop buying these products the FDA will

have to listen.

There is a lack of research and regulation. There are very few unbiased

researches on the long-term effects. They still continue to deny the chance of long-

term effects even though some people have proof. Things are being negatively

impacted in the community because of the farming. This is common sense, if you

constantly use chemicals that are harmful to the environment they will eventually

end up in ecosystems and water supplies. If there was a safer way to make GMO’s
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and sustain them, they might be safer for the environment and our bodies.

Sometimes the cheapest most profitable way isn’t always going to be the best for the

community.

Some people do find positives to GMOs and argue that they are safe. No

effects among consumers have been found, but they might just not have been found

yet. “It isn't attainable to prove a food is safe, solely to mention that no hazard has

been shown to exist,” (The NY Times). There may not have been safety problems

found in humans but rats have shown significant signs. A few years from now there

will probably be results found from eating GMO’s. There are currently thirty-eight

countries that have banned GMO’s. Researchers assume the number will continue to

grow. GMO’s are a positive for countries that need a larger food supply to keep from

famine. The GMO’s can be modified to stay alive in harsher weather conditions and

can produce a lot more food. America doesn’t necessarily need more foods like the

countries in poverty. We should be focusing on making fresher, safer foods.

Researchers think that GMO’s are given a bad connotation because of

propaganda. ”Because the mind is prone to distorting or rejecting scientific

information in favor of more intuitive beliefs, simply transmitting the facts will not

necessarily persuade people of the safety” (Scientific American). They believe it is a

case of “too good to be true” in people’s minds, and that they need to find something

bad about them. I do not agree with this because of the facts researchers have found.

The countries that have banned them from their countries must have a reason to do

so. “In the European Union, genetically modified organisms need to undergo an

authorization procedure in which an environmental risk assessment is performed”


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(Research Gate). If America began doing this a lot more products would be taken off

the market. They are not very worried about the environment and what it will look

like in a few years. The speculation could easily be over.

If people did research and found that there could be some very negative side

effects to eating these foods. They would probably begin buying foods that didn't

contain these ingredients. It could also force the FDA to get involved and have these

foods removed off the shelves. If the proper research is done and it shows that these

foods are safe, then people would no longer have to worry about what they are

buying and reading all the labels.

There is too much research to try to deny them all. GMO’s may not be as bad

as everyone thinks, but they do have some health concerns and environmental

concerns. There are a few tricks and tips when you are shopping to look out for

GMO’s and avoid them. Buying anything that is organic is almost always a safe bet.

Buying foods like grass-fed meats and Non-GMO fruits is a good place to start. A way

to know if fruits and veggies are Non-GMO is by looking at the identification number

on the sticker (also called a PLU). “If the code is five digits long and it begins with a

‘9’, then the produce is organic and not genetically modified. Codes that feature five

digits and begin with an ‘8’ signal produce that was genetically modified” (Paul

Jenkins). This is a simple thing to remember and help you look out for the

genetically modified items hiding in the grocery store. Foods that contain corn or

soy most likely contain GMOs because over 90% of corn and soy produced is with

GMO’s. Since this many soy and corn plants are genetically modified it would be very

hard to get them back to organic.


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This isn’t necessarily at the fault of the farmers. They are not the ones who

created this technology and aren’t the companies paying them to do it. “Biotech

firms need farmers to enter into license agreements within which farmers waive

rights, including the right to save seeds” (Non-GMO Project) they are controlling

what is being farmed. The farmers don’t get to make a lot of decisions and can’t even

save seeds. Farming these crops puts the farmers at risk for catching these diseases

and ruining their bodies. Famers would rather do the job and get paid, than to go

against the company and lose money. Many farmers have been born into these jobs

and have been doing it their entire lives. It would be very difficult for them to end

the family tradition and find entirely new jobs.

Since GMO’s have been around, America has been having an incline in

obesity. Researchers say that GMO’s can cause weight gain. These are still not

directly related, but it is definitely possible as for why obesity is increasing. They

have also found that weight gain in animals is happening when they are genetically

modified. In future generations the weight gain can cause problems for the animal

including possibly suffering. Animal welfare is not always involved with the GMO’s

because the farmers are in charge of the animals.

Even though the farmers seem to be the only ones benefiting from the money

they are making, it does help keep the price of products down. For those of us who

don’t want these products it doesn’t mean much, but those who don’t really have an

option this is really helpful. It helps supply steady amounts of food for low prices,

countries that really need these products are greatly benefitting. Organic foods do

tend to be more expensive because they contain ingredients that are better for our
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bodies. If organic became the new normal products, we wouldn’t notice the price

difference.

Most of the foods with a lot of genetically modified ingredients are foods we

shouldn’t be eating anyways. Cheaply made food contain lots of bad ingredients,

while they may taste good your body might not appreciate it. Lots of fast food

restaurants use genetically modified ingredients because it is much cheaper. It is

always a safer option to buy groceries that you pick out and cook at home so you

know exactly what you are eating. There is a place called Thrive Market where you

can buy GMO free items online. They try to keep most of their prices at wholesale

prices. Shopping organic is shopping smart. Spend the few extra dollars; it will help

you from having to spend money at the hospital later. At your local grocery stores,

you can hold up different brands of fruits and vegetables, and see the differences.

Genetically modified foods tend to be much larger in size. They tend do be duller in

color and very uniform in shape. The chemicals they are given do things like reduce

the browning of apples but still make them much larger.

Genetically modified foods are probably going to be around for a while.

Everyone has to decide whether they think that are safe to eat or super unsafe. The

chemicals are polluting our water and ecosystems. Scientists say there is no effect to

the environment but what happens to all of the chemicals that are sprayed on the

crops every day. The animals may be suffering and we don’t know it. Some of the

foods the animals are being fed have killed them. If it can kill an animal it can kill a

human. No one wants to be put at risk of their health for eating foods they are told

are safe. Researchers have spent a lot of time doing test on rats to find out what
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happens to their bodies. But none of the researchers who say these foods are safe

are allowing research to be done.

There are definite reasons that countries have banned these genetically

modified organisms. One day America should be one of those countries. Human kind

needs to stay alive as long as possible and not endure serious health issues along the

way. Staying healthy keeps everyone happy. Animals that provide us with a lot of

products should be treated kindly and never feel pain. Shop in the organic section of

the grocery store and think about what you are buying.

Now that Americans can know what GMO’s are doing to their bodies let’s cut

them out of our diets. Do some research on how to shop at the supermarket and

only buy good ingredients. It should become easier and easier to spot these bad

foods and have strength to not pick them up. Yes, those little cakes that come in a

box are delicious but the ingredients aren’t safe to eat. Avoiding small things like

snacks at the register and the big bag of chips on the endcap of the isle is a great

place to start.
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Works Cited

Blancke, Stefaan. “Why People Oppose GMOs Even Though Science Says They Are

Safe.” Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2015,

www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-people-oppose-gmos-even-

though-science-says-they-are-safe/.

Brody, Jane E. “Are G.M.O. Foods Safe?” The New York Times, The New York Times,

23 Apr. 2018,http:nytimes.com/ 2018/04/23/well/eat/are-gmo-foods-

safe.html.

Delogu, Bernardo. Risk Analysis and Governance in EU Policy Making and

Regulation : An Introductory Guide. Switzerland : Springer, 2016, 2016.

EBSCOhost,

sinclair.ohionet.org:80/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=cat01128a&AN=scc.b1772354&site=eds-live.

“Genetic Engineering.” Green America, www.greenamerica.org/gmo-inside.

“Health Risks.” Institute for Responsible Technology,

responsibletechnology.org/gmo-education/health-risks/.

Myers, Amy. “3 Reasons to Avoid GMOs If You Have an Autoimmune Disease.” Amy

Myers MD, 7 Nov. 2017, www.amymyersmd.com/2017/08/3-reasons-to-

avoid-gmos-if-you-have-an-autoimmune-disease/.

September 29, 2010 - Blog. “6 Reasons To Avoid GMOs September 29, 2010 - Blog.”

Non-GMO Project, www.nongmoproject.org/blog/6-reasons-to-avoid-

gmos/.
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“7 Reasons To Avoid GMOs And 4 Ways To Spot Them.” Spirit of Change,

www.spiritofchange.org/Fall-2017/7-Reasons-To-Avoid-GMOs-And-4-Ways-

To-Spot-Them/.

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